1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to the field of shoes for wearing while playing various sports. More specifically the present invention relates to a shoe including a conventional shoe top structure secured to a sole having a sole forward segment for making contact with a shoe support surface such as the floor of a basketball court and having a sole rearward segment which arches upwardly and then extends rearwardly from the sole forward segment to be spaced above the shoe support surface, and including a heel in the form of a heel panel mounted beneath the sole rearward segment, and including spring means biasing the heel panel downwardly a certain distance from the sole rearward segment to define a vertical gap between the sole rearward segment and the heel panel. As a result of this construction, a downward thrust of a wearer heel inside the shoe presses the heel panel firmly against the shoe support surface and drives the heel panel upwardly toward the sole rearward segment against the biasing of the spring means, thereby storing energy in the spring means. As the wearer rises off the heel panel, the spring means causes the heel panel to exert a downward force on the support surface, the spring means thereby adding upward acceleration to the wearer body to cause the wearer to rise higher in his or her step or jump than he or she would without this shoe.
2. Description of the Prior Art
There have long been athletic shoes having heels formed of deformable simulated rubber material or compressible foam material. One version is believed to include a heel panel spaced downwardly from the sole rearward segment and upright and compressible foam columns extending between the sole and heel panel. A problem with these prior heels has been that they are merely shock absorbers which dissipate energy as heat, and return negligible or none of this energy to the wearer to provide lift in an immediately subsequent step or jump.
It is thus an object of the present invention to provide a shoe having a heel panel which deflects upwardly as the shoe impacts a support surface and which stores a substantial portion of the energy of impact in spring means and which releases the stored energy as the wearer rises off the heel panel to propel the heel panel downwardly against the support surface to enhance his or her step or jump.
It is another object of the present invention to provide such a shoe which has a unique and appealing appearance with a distinctive vertical space or gap between the sole rearward segment and the heel panel.
It is still another object of the present invention to provide such a shoe which is highly durable and which may be worn without risk of injury.
It is finally an object of the present invention to provide such a shoe which is relatively inexpensive to manufacture.